School district cautions parents over ‘13 Reasons Why’

Thursday

May 11, 2017 at 4:41 PMMay 11, 2017 at 10:58 PM

By Austin Cannon, Staff Writer acannon@amestrib.com

The Ames Community School District this week sent an email to parents regarding the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” — a series popular with teenagers that’s drawn criticism from mental health professionals who question its depiction of suicide.

In the first season of the series, which premiered in late March, teenager Clay Jensen receives a box of cassette tapes from classmate and romantic interest Hannah Baker, who committed suicide weeks before. Hannah’s voice is on the tapes’ 13 sides, telling the people she holds responsible the story of why she killed herself.

The show is based on a popular novel by the same name and portrays survivors’ guilt and, in the school district’s words, “depicts rape, underage drinking and drug use, and sexism.”

“Many students are watching this series, but may not be talking to trusted adults,” the district said in its email to parents and staff. “The portrayal of mental health care in the show may discourage youth from seeking help or advice from adults and counselors.”

Yonas Michael, Ames schools’ director of student services, said concerned parents and mental-health professionals had emailed the district regarding the show, and the school counselors were asking how to respond to students who wanted to talk about the series, which features graphic scenes of rape and Hannah’s suicide.

“We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series,” the National Association of School Psychologists wrote on its website. “Its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies.”

The district sent the email on Monday, telling parents it had provided counselors with information about the show and providing resources such as numbers for suicide hotlines and links to online information on suicide and mental health.

“We needed to do our part to inform parents,” Michael said.

Dr. Warren Phillips, a child and adolescent psychologist at Central Iowa Psychological Services, applauded that action, saying that some parents might not know their kids are watching it.

He’s known of the show for a couple weeks now, even talking about it with some of his clients. That’s a good thing; silence isn’t, Phillips said.

“Connection is one of the most important ways of preventing suicide,” he said.

To Phillips, the show has done a good job raising awareness about suicide, but it has failed to provide adequate resources for teens who could be at risk of harming themselves. Numbers for suicide hotlines are absent, and the series doesn’t encourage teenagers to speak with their parents or other loved ones about their mental health.

In a flashback toward the end of the show’s first season, Hannah is raped and later goes to see the school counselor, who dismisses the assault and tells her to move on. In the final episode, Hannah is shown committing suicide.

The counselor’s dismissal “may send the wrong message to teens who may be considering speaking to a teacher, a counselor, or even a parent,” the school district’s message said. “There are effective, evidence-based treatments available for depression and suicide.”

Phillips wished that the show in some way encouraged more discussion.

“Find another counselor,” he said. “Keep going. Keep trying.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or the Iowa Help Line at 1-855-800-1239. You can also chat with a specialist at iowacrisischat.org.